The board of directors for the The Arizona Billiards Hall of Fame has decided to undertake the task of becoming a sanctioning body and promoter of Arizona State Championships. The plan calls for at least two championship tournaments per year - one in 8-ball and one in 9-ball. Each championship tournament is to be broken into four separate divisions, with each division playing non-handicapped, double-elimination contests, with guaranteed added monies and state titles for each of those divisions. The divisions are: Div 1 (Expert), Div 2 (Advanced), Div 3 (Intermediate), and Div 4 (Novice). The added monies and entry fees for the divisions are as follows: Div 1 = $1,500 added & $100 entry; Div 2 = $1,250 added & $75 entry; Div 3 = $1,000 added & $50 entry; Div 4 = $750 added & $25 entry.
The championships will be open to all paid AZBHOF members ($10 annual membership fee). There are no other restrictions such as those regarding state residence, gender, or league affiliations. Upon applying for membership each person is asked to assess their own skill level by choosing whether they think they are Expert, Advanced, Intermediate, or Novice. They are also asked to provide any and all league and player ratings they may have been assigned. If any player's provided ratings don't substantiate that player's personal skill assessment, the AZBHOF will make a determination on which division that player will compete in. In cases where the AZBHOF needs to make such determinations, they will employ Phil Capelle's "Pyramid of Excellence" skill level descriptions from his book, Play Your Best Pool, in conjunction with Dr. Dave's ratings conversion chart from his Billiard University website. Any member wishing to play, but having no ratings or other information available to verify that player's skill level, will be required to play in the highest division (Div 1) for their first championship, and their true skill level can be determined from that performance for their next championship.
Does this sound like a fair and equitable plan for everyone involved?
